This apricot tart is all that we love about fruit desserts: juicy caramelized apricots and raspberries between layers of almond cream encased in a sweet crust. The different components can be made in advance! So easy and so delicious!
Stone fruit season, especially apricots, is usually a short one.
So I have a few recipes that always get made, such as my favorite Plum Crumble Tart, Honey Fruit, and this amazing apricot raspberry tart. One of my favorites of all time!
The recipe is as french as they come and the result is amazing.
The sweet shortcrust pastry is thin and crisp, the layers of frangipane are sweet and creamy, and the apricots are juicy and acid at the same time to balance the rest. An absolute must-try!
What steps are needed to make this recipe?
Sweet shortcrust pastry: our pie crust recipe is wonderfully easy to make and can be made well in advance.
Frangipane: or almond cream, is a mixture of almonds, butter, sugar, and egg that comes together in 15 minutes. When used as a filling, it puffs as it bakes and holds the fruit together. Absolutely scrumptious.
Fruit: apricots and raspberries, because they are sweet but with enough acid to balance the sweet. I use fresh apricots and frozen raspberries, simply because I already had them. But use fresh berries if you have them!
The pie crust is blind-baked (pre-baked) and then filled with a layer of frangipane.
On top of that come the apricot slices and the space in between is filled with as many raspberries as necessary (image above).
- Apricots: I bake them with some sugar and butter before assembling the tart (image below). You can skip it, but I find that if the apricots are too firm or lack a flavor, this extra step works wonderfully. It takes no time and you can have them baked a few hours ahead. But you can totally add raw, sliced apricots directly to the tart too. Your call.
Assembling the apricot tart.
This recipe has fruit sandwiched between two layers of frangipane (almond cream).
Don't be tempted to make thick layers as they will overpower the flavor and acidity of the fruit.
Thin layers work best (image below).
About frangipane
Frangipane is also known as almond cream (image below) and is a necessary component of this recipe.
It comes together in 15 minutes and uses mostly pantry staples.
Find the super detailed and step-by-step photos in the post for frangipane.
About the sweet shortcrust pastry.
The homemade crust used in this recipe is my favorite one. I've been making it for years and it always delivers.
It has variations and there are a huge amount of recipes out there. Find my version in the post for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, full of step-by-step images and detailed instructions.
Top tips
- Fruit: you can use fresh apricots or canned if you find good ones. Raspberries can be fresh or frozen. And don't discard using other stone fruit such as peaches or nectarines, plums, or cherries.
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: I use my favorite French recipe that always works. Feel free to use another sweet pie crust or even an all-butter store-bought one.
- Frangipane: this is the traditional way to go, but I have made a walnut cream version that is amazing. So innovate with another nut if you're in the mood.
- Make-ahead: the dough can be made ahead and frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days. The same goes for the lined pan; I usually have a tart pan in the freezer lined with sweet pie crust. It saves so much time when I want to bake! The almond cream can be made ahead and keeps well for a week in the fridge and can be frozen too.
- Keeping: this tart is best eaten the day it's made, but holds well for 2 days. You can leave it at room t° for a day, and then wrap it and keep it in the fridge. I don't like freezing it, as the apricots and raspberries turn mushy when defrosted.
Other recipes you might like:
Almond Plum Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Plum Crumble Tart
Pear Frangipane Tart
Honey Fruit with Cream
Raspberry Apple Crumb Bars
Fig Jam Tart
Coconut Lemon Tart
Apricot Frangipane Tart
- Prep Time: 90
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pies & Tarts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
This apricot tart is all that we love about fruit desserts: juicy caramelized apricots and raspberries between layers of almond cream encased in a sweet crust.
And all the different components in this recipe can be made in advance! So easy and sooo delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- ⅓ recipe for Frangipane
- 6-7 apricots, cored and sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup of sliced almonds
Instructions
For the apricots:
- Preheat oven to 35°F /180°C.
- Put slices of apricots in a cookie or oven sheet, sprinkle with the sugar and dot with the butter.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until soft, remove from oven and reserve. At this point you can keep them in a bowl, covered, in the refrigerator for a few hours before assembling the tart.
- Keep the oven on.
To assemble the tart:
- Follow instructions for the sweet Shortcrust Pastry and blind bake a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
- Spread a thin layer of frangine in the bottom of the pre-baked crust and arrange apricot slices on top.
- Fill gaps with the raspberries, distributing as evenly as possible.
- Cover the fruit with another thin layer of frangipane, about ½ cup. Put small tablespoons of cream all over the surface and, carefully, spread them to cover. It will be uneven and maybe not cover it completely.
- Bake for 20 minutes and scatter sliced almonds on top (I do it mid-baking so they don't end up burning).
- Bake for 10 more minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Let cool to room t° on a wire rack before eating.
Notes
- Fruit: you can use fresh apricots or canned if you find good ones. Raspberries can be fresh or frozen. And don't discard using other stone fruit such as peaches or nectarines, plums or cherries.
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: I use my favorite French recipe that always works. Feel free to use another sweet pie crust or even an all-butter store-bought one.
- Frangipane: the recipe makes for more than you need here. What's left can be frozen. With almonds is the traditional way to go, but I have made a walnut cream version that is amazing. So innovate with another nut if you're in the mood.
- Make-ahead: the dough can be made ahead and frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days. The same goes for the lined pan; I usually have a tart pan in the freezer lined with sweet pie crust. It saves so much time when I want to bake! The almond cream can be made ahead and keeps well for a week in the fridge and can be frozen too.
- Keeping: this tart is best eaten the day it's made, but holds well for 2 days. You can leave it at room t° for a day, and then wrap it and keep it in the fridge. I don't like freezing it, as the apricots and raspberries turn mushy when defrosted.
Keywords: apricot tart
This is a beautiful and delicious dessert. It was a hit with my husband and my 4 college age sons! The crust was yummy even though I was short on time and the dough was not cold enough to roll properly. (I mostly pressed it into the tart pan.) The flavor combo of apricots, raspberries and almonds was lovely! I used canned apricots as fresh were not available. I think it would be even better with peaches or cherries. Thank you for your yummy recipe!
★★★★★
Good to know you all liked it Bella! I've yet to try it with other fruit, but almond cream is great with most of them. Have a good weekend!